


“You know, I really hoped I’d never see this place again.”

by mrsskeptic



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Gen, Post-Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Pre-Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, the twins having a soft sad moment before they end a whole war, we stan two legends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-16
Updated: 2019-09-16
Packaged: 2020-10-19 18:22:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20661674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrsskeptic/pseuds/mrsskeptic
Summary: Shortly before the events of ROTJ, Luke and Leia find themselves sharing the remnants of their stories.Based on an ask prompt from Tumblr, the first line (being the title) is spoken by Luke.





	“You know, I really hoped I’d never see this place again.”

Tatooine was nothing but a story to Leia up until a few days ago. A hunk of dirt among the expanse of stars, the prime planet of the Tatoo system and a host of legends to boot. For years she had curled up at the foot of her tutor, listening to the tales of Krayt Dragons and the mighty slayers that took them on. Nothing but men with swords heavier than their hearts in their hands, killing creatures with nothing to lose. Leia, all round - faced and fiery-eyed, would stand with her fists held high and declare, “I’ll go to Tatooine! I’ll slay dragons, too!” and when she’d howl the story to her laughing parents, they’d sweep her into their arms and hold her too close, hug her just a little too tight.  _ Tatooine could wait _ . Wait in tales twisted, in other lifetimes. Tatooine could live on in stories.

So when she stands and grinds her heel into the harsh gravel, sweat clung to the nape of her neck and the dry copper taste of dirt dripping like honey from her tongue, she can’t help but feel like she’s  _ been here _ before. Something nags from the pit of her stomach, crawling up from the inside out, pointed and sharp and bleeding. And though she feels this new story forming in her bones ( The girl who slays dragons. The girl spitting embers between bared teeth. The girl shedding her skin and **becoming the dragon** ) she can also feel Luke’s trepidation at returning back to the only home he’s ever known -- this blank slate of a blank planet, where he’d loved and lost everything he had ever known. Not much to call home anymore.

  
_She can relate to the feeling._

“Can’t imagine why.” She offers a dry, uneven chuckle. It’s more of a joke than she’s been able to offer these past few days/weeks/months. It slips out of an upturned corner of her mouth, dying like an old habit from her lips. Ever since Han had been carted off in carbonite the two of them had been merely existing side by side, lingering outside of their bodies, managing in scrambled plans and sleepless nights. But now that they’ve found Han, finally found him -- on the planet of their misshapen beginnings, in a knife-to-the-gut and twist of irony, no less -- things seemed to have begun to piece together. The sudden focus and the idea of ambush planting a seed in their skulls, their souls were finally shifting back into place -- Into belonging. And here they were, at the precipice of a canyon, the soft glow that becomes dusk staining the turn of their cheek. Leia trods a few feet behind Luke, her hand coming to rest on his shoulder as she gave a gentle squeeze.

“It’s only for a few days. We’ll get Han, get off this rock, and be halfway across the galaxy before you know it.”

She studies his face now, watching for any change in his expression. He seems lost in a moment, unraveling into something akin to naivety, molding into someone she once knew years ago. And when she follows his gaze out to the horizon, to the double set of suns that lowered into the russet curve of the earth, she knew what he was wrapped up in.  _ Stories _ . Memories of a life gone by. The sentiment echoes familiar, striking like a bolt down her spine. She thinks that for a minute -- just this minute -- she could use it, too. Her hand drops to her side and finds his own, fingers threading feather-light through his. She doesn’t bother saying anything. Leia knows she doesn’t have to.

And until the binary sunset fades into darkness and the stars stitch themselves across the expanse of night, they stand in silence and mourn the pasts long forgotten. The stories they once knew.

**Author's Note:**

> SO short but I wanted to get something POSTED so I could finally call myself a writer DSFKGSDFKSDGK hope y'all like it!


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